Universe of Metro 2033: Bandito
by Iwillnevertell12345
Summary: Grand Square has declared war on the Army remnants in the Manhattan subway. With preparations underway, there's little time before the fighting begins. However, there are other forces working against the people of the underground that need to be dealt with as well. With little time and so few allies, will Daniel pull through? Or will his past catch up to him first?
1. Prologue

Prologue

"So, this is the guy?"

"Yeah."

"How much does he know?"

"Too much."

"And the boss wants him dead."

"Right."

"Man, I really gotta get out of this kinda work."

"What the hell else are you gonna do? It's this or pushing people around all day. Maybe you could be a Stalker if they don't find out what else you've done. Maybe."

"You got a point."

A soft scraping sound crawled along the floor.

"Hey, I think he's waking up."

"Ah, fuck."

More rustling creeped along the walls alongside the sounds of heavy footsteps.

"Hey, buddy. You know a bit too much about the Boss' operation, huh? Well, he says you gotta go."

Heavy breaths and stifled sobs mingled through the cracks in the wood.

"Try not to take it personally, alright? I'm just doin' my job."

The scrape of the slide of a pistol crept through the air with the click of the hammer clinging to it. ****

 **Author's Note: Didn't see a rule against this anywhere, but again, if a moderator wants me to omit this note, feel free to send me a quick message. Some good news! Universe of Metro: Desperado was accepted by a publisher. I have already begun payments and it is projected to be released for sale in bookstores and Amazon as paperback or e-book in 2018. However, I am not entirely sure I am allowed to use the Universe of Metro name. I am aware of Mr. Glukhovsky's support of Universe of Metro books, however, I don't know in what way he supports them. If anyone has any information on whether I need permission to avoid copyright problems or if I may simply publish the book as a Universe of Metro novel, I urge you to send me a message with contact information for the former or proof of the latter. I would greatly appreciate it. I also asked to be allowed to leave the story as-is on this site and they said there was no problem, so I don't plan on taking it down at all.**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Wanderer

The gun made a hiss like a football being stomped on. The air around the suppressor buffeted the shackle of a padlock as a bullet ripped it apart. Daniel pulled up the newly-vandalized lock and hung it on one of the holes in the chain link fence before sliding his pistol into its holster. The gate blocking his way drifted open until Daniel placed his hand on it and pushed. With a weak, grating creak, the gate swung open.

"Danny," Daniel heard Roy's voice behind him, "You alright?"

"Yeah," Daniel answered, "Just trying to repress some old memories, like always."

"What's a repress?"

Daniel shook his head and started forward into the alleyway.

"It's not important."

"I just hope we don't run into one of those vision things again."

"You'll know when there's an Echo around."

"Is there like a sign or anything?"

"Nah, you'll just know."

Roy chuckled.

"You're always so cryptic."

"You know 'cryptic,' but you don't know what 'repress' means?"

Roy shrugged his shoulders with a smirk stretched across his face.

"The few books I read are esoteric?"

Daniel rolled his eyes and shook his head before he stopped at a corner. He poked his head around the edge and peered at the street. He didn't see anything move.

"Take right," he said with a lowered voice as he moved across the alleyway toward the opening to the street, "You know what to do?"

Roy shook his head.

"Get on the left wall and look across into the street."

He extended his index and middle fingers, pointing them at his eyes.

"When I do this, you poke your head out and take a look further up. If you see something, nod your head. If you don't, shake your head. Got it?"

Roy nodded his head. Daniel reached for his rifle, but ended up grabbing at the back of his hip instead. It was then he remembered his rifle had been crunched and groaned quietly to himself before pulling his pistol from its holster. He pressed his right shoulder against the dulled, red brick wall and quietly inched toward the mouth of the alleyway, while Roy followed suit on the opposite side. He kept a keen eye open as he neared the corner, spying for any movement on the street. When he and Roy had reached their respective edges, he gave Roy the signal. Roy stretched his neck out and looked further down the street for a moment before pulling his head back and shaking his head at Daniel. Daniel then poked his head out and gazed down the street. The asphalt seemed to stretch into infinity, while the dead stone and glass behemoths loomed over its edges. Daniel could see decrepit cars, boulders of concrete showing veins of rebar, and a long-decomposed Howler body, but didn't see anything that caused him alarm. He gestured for Roy to follow him and turned the corner behind him. He quickly took in all the scenery he wasn't able to earlier. Similar concrete or brick towers of varied sizes stood vigil over the barren street. The particularly tall ones further on marked his destination. One unusual thing did pique his interest. A certain car seemed out of place. The usual skeletonized, twisted, or otherwise scorched wrecks that dotted the street surrounded one almost pristine vehicle. It had a sleek, long nose and a low roof. Its edges were rounded, yet still sharp. The slim, ocular-like headlights and taillights on the front had two pupils, giving it a strangely recognizable alien-like look. Its black hood was contrasted by its blue body, accentuated by two white stripes that streaked across each of its sides. The spoiler on the back was also black and gave the vehicle an imposing, but playful silhouette. It hugged the ground incredibly closely, without going as far as to touch it. Daniel approached the car slowly, making sure to scan the skies and street as he moved for any signs of movement. When he reached it, he studied the interior through one of the windows. The door windows were almost completely opaque, but the front windshield was clear enough for him to be able to peer inside. The felt covered seats weren't shredded or burnt like most other cars left on the roads.

"What's up?" Roy asked as be backpedaled to Daniel, keeping an eye down the road.

Daniel didn't answer. He reached for the door handle and gripped it tightly before pulling on it. The sound it made was like a click, but sounded much larger and heavier than the usual clacking his guns made. The broad side of the car split open and revealed its interior to Daniel. He got a better look at the bumps that spread across the rubber wrapping on the steering wheel and the nobs on the stereo. He placed his knee in the seat and reached over the lever handle jutting out of the center console before pulling up on the latch on the glove box. The only thing inside was a piece of paper, almost like a ticket. He picked it up and quickly scanned it. Most of the numbers and letters on it were gibberish to him, but he managed to pick out the model and year of the car. He put the ticket back into the glove box and closed it. He sat down in the seat and placed both hands on the steering wheel.

"Too early, dog," he muttered to himself as he looked past the windshield.

"Huh?" Roy said as he poked his head into the opening of the door.

Daniel shook his head.

"Nothing, just talking to myself."

"Again?"

"Needed to talk to someone out here when I ran alone."

Roy's face told him that Roy didn't take his words seriously. He pushed the thought aside and stroked the sides of the center console until he found the button to open it. It made a similar sound to the car door as it opened, only much smaller. He looked inside and found several meaningless papers, an old fruit snack wrapper, and a pair of keys. He fished out the keys and studied them. One had a black covering bearing the same sigil as on the front of the car on the larger end and both sides were jagged, while the other had an inscription that read _14B_ with only a single jagged edge. He took the first key and began to poke at the base of the steering wheel. He continued to jab at it until he decided he wasn't making any progress and leaned into to look for the ignition. Once he had found it, he sunk the key right in and turned it. With a sound that seemed to be a mix between a roar and a wheeze, the car sprung to life. Different dials wrenched awake, the dashboard lit up, and the stereo wailed a song through the speakers. After jumping from the start, Daniel twisted the key back in the opposite direction. All of the systems and noise died down with a sputter from the exhaust.

"Aw, man!" Roy coughed, "That spooked me!"

"Yeah, and it would have spooked whatever else is around here. We'd better move."

With a grunt, Daniel pulled himself out of the car.

"Isn't this a working car? Should we just leave it here?"

"If there's nothing around on the way back, we'll see if it has enough gas to take back with us. Otherwise, we'll report it and someone else will."

He stepped out of the way before closing the door.

"You sure it doesn't belong to someone?"

"If it does, it'll be gone by the time we come back through."

He looked up at the giant structures lined up along the road one more time before continuing his trek to where his station gets part of its name.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Timeless

Daniel placed his hand against the faces of the buildings as he walked along past them. The stinging tension he usually felt while above the subway was a quiet tickle on the back of his neck. Instead of indulging his usual habit of scanning for any movement and out of place colors, he leisurely admired the glass windows or small yellow flowers as he passed by. He came upon a subway entrance. Ugly green railing surrounded a staircase leading down into a hole in the ground covered by a huge, black metal trap door. A sign on the end of the three-quarter rectangle showed various faded letters and coloring. Daniel didn't have to be able to see them to know what they said. He crouched next to the sign and pressed his fingers to it.

As he slid his fingers across it, he softly spoke to himself, "Time Square… Forty-second Street Station… One, two, three, seven, n-q-r-s…"

He moved his fingers to the lower-right corner to where the lines differed from the faded, but still neat and clean lettering. They were erratic and messy, yet deliberate and graceful. They were mostly gone, but he could still see them vividly.

"Free…"

He stood up and continued on his path. He could see the flashing lights and images of advertisements. He could see the glow of neon signs and street lamps start to light up the concrete as the orange glow of the sky started to fade. Faces and images flashed across the sides of the building, each trying to sell him something; each trying to excite and entice him. The people he ignored shuffled by him. One even berated him for being so carelessly in the way. He could smell the gas of the cars that coughed or growled past him. Their constantly blaring horns were muffled by his helmet's ear protection. He felt the smog caught under his gas mask begin to strangle him, so he unlatched his helmet strap and pulled it off. He took in a deep breath of the tingly, cold air and let his shoulders droop. He smiled as amusement trickled into his head briefly, but he couldn't remember exactly why. Just before he got the joke, his trance was broken.

"Danny?" someone called from behind him, "You okay?"

Daniel turned toward the voice to find a man in heavy clothes hiding his face behind a gas mask. The dark skin of his assault rifle contrasted against the dusty-looking structures turned a dreary grey by the overcast sky.

"Yeah," Daniel answered before turning back and continuing on his path, "I'm good."

Daniel glanced around at the nostalgic scenery. Dull lamp posts that weren't half-missing lined the road on the ground, while dead sign lettering hung above them. Gigantic screens and billboards rested against the faces of the buildings, motionless. Derelict cars filed along the empty streets and sidewalks. He took in a deep breath of the thin, murky air.

"You sure it's a good idea to take your mask off?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Hardly anything comes through here, so radiation isn't carried through. There's actually a lot of places in the city where it's safe to breathe the air. Mostly up north, since barely any bombs hit there."

He pointed at the ground.

"Tabbies and Howlers can hear us making all that noise through the ground, so they stay away."

He pointed up into the air.

"The buildings are too tall for Hawks to hunt or for the wind to carry fallout in. So it can't get in that way."

He dropped his arm and looked straight ahead.

"And Ross only lets Stalkers through for special cases to keep it clean until he can clear the rubble away from the subway entrance and set up an outpost out here."

"So it's safe?"

"Yeah, one of the safest places in the whole city."

Roy hesitantly unhooked his helmet strap and slowly pulled his mask away from his face. He slowly took in a breath, then another, then one more before pulling his helmet off and taking in another, deeper breath. His brow squeezed together and his eyes looked ahead quizzically for a moment. It didn't take long before he acclimated and adopted his usual relaxed expression.

"If it's such a special place, why are we here?"

"We're scoping the place out and making sure it's still empty, just in case."

Daniel led Roy along the street until they reached a huge intersection of the roads. Multiple wide roads converged beside a small Police booth. Daniel approached the booth and rest his hand on one of the half-shattered window panes. He walked around it until he found a doorway and stepped through. Inside was a desk and a couple of poofy chairs, one pointed toward the windows and the other resting against the wall. He slowly sat down in the former chair and pressed his back into it. He draped his head over the back and sunk into the fabric. Roy followed him in and sat in the other chair. Daniel closed his eyes and relaxed. He could hear the sound of Roy's boots scraping against the floor. The rubber of his heel squeaking slightly on the tile nipped at his ears. He lifted his head up and turned to Roy before placing his finger over his lips and hissing through his teeth. Roy kept his boots still, so he relaxed back in his chair and waited. He waited. And he waited. Then he waited a bit more.

Times Square was quiet.

He thought he heard a gentle thud. He opened his eyes for a moment and waited. And he waited. Then he waited a bit more. Just as he had determined it to be his imagination, he heard the sound of glass scraping and falling on concrete. Daniel abruptly stood up from his chair, startling Roy.

"What's up?" Roy asked quietly.

Daniel pulled his pistol out of its holster and replied, "I heard something; glass falling or breaking or something. We need to check it out."

Roy stood up and drew his rifle from his back. As he quickly put his helmet back on, Daniel walked to the door and pressed his shoulder against the frame. He quickly scanned both ways down the road. He held out his hand and gestured for Roy to stay put. Roy nodded as if he understood and crouched low while putting his own helmet back on. Daniel looked one more time down the road before quickly and quietly running across to the building on the other side. He crouched beneath the huge open window and pointed his pistol toward where he heard the noise before signaling for Roy to follow. Roy mimicked Daniel's method and crossed the street, coming to rest behind him and pointing his rifle in the opposite direction as Daniel. Daniel patted Roy on the shoulder before rising to his feet and starting down the road. Roy followed after him with his eyes watching their backs. They followed the buildings toward where Daniel heard the noise. Daniel and Roy scurried down the road until they can to rest behind a staircase leading upward into a building. They climbed the stairs and hid behind the piles of trash that lined the landing. They peered over the bags and down the road. They were met with the sight of a tiny human figure clutching a teddy bear. Its long brown hair was matted and fresh blood from its feet was beginning to stain its light blue pants. It slowly teetered along the road, stopping occasionally to regain its balance.

"Is that a little kid?" Roy whispered, "What the hell are they doing out here?"

Daniel peered past the figure and strained to see anything behind it. Determining there was nothing, he looked back the way they'd come and came to a similar conclusion. He raised his body slightly and called out to it.

"Hey!" he yelled cautiously, "Are you okay? Where are your parents?"

"You sure that's a good idea?" Roy asked with a hushed voice.

The tiny frame seemed to take notice and stopped before looking up at Daniel. It froze and stared at him.

"Do you need help? Which station are you from? Maybe we can help you find your parents!"

The figure didn't move.

"I can take you back to my station! We can help you!"

Daniel's words seemed to pique its interest. Its shoulders slumped and it loosened its grip on its fuzzy companion. It took one unbalanced step, then another, then half of one more before falling over onto the ground.

"Shit! Cover me!" Daniel hissed before vaulting over the handrail and sprinting down the road. He came to a stop and crouched beside the child. The visor of their gasmask was nearly completely fogged over and their breathing was heavy. Small bits of glass peeked out of their feet and bruises covered their arms. Roy caught up to Daniel and pointed his rifle down the road where the child had come from.

"Is that a little girl?" Roy asked as Daniel took off one of his gloves and pressed two of his fingers against her wrist.

After feeling that she still had a pulse, he lifted his fingers and noticed that the color of her wrist had taken just a bit too long to change back. He examined her gasmask and reached for the filter.

"Yeah, it is," he said as he popped the filter out and replaced it with one of his, "Her filter's empty… She's dehydrated too… God only knows how long she's been out here. We need to get her back to the station!"

He took the teddy bear in his hands and hesitated. He looked down at the girl, then at his body, then at the bear. He noticed it had a loop made of string poking out of its back. He reached back into one of the pockets on his bag and pulled out a carabiner. He pushed open the gate segment and hooked the string with it, then hooked the whole thing onto his belt loop before letting it snap closed and dropping it to let it dangle. He lifted the girl and scooped her up in his arms before he started to hurry back toward the Police booth. As he ran he could feel her hair tickling his wrist and hand. Instinctively, he glanced down at what it was. Smooth golden hair fluttered as he ran. Her light blue shirt had nearly been completely dyed a deep red. Bright blue eyes looked up at him expectantly. His mind filled with dread and his head filled with adrenaline. He pushed his legs harder and pushed himself to run faster.

"Danny!" Roy called out as he was being completely outpaced, "Danny! Hang on!"

Daniel didn't hear him. With unnatural fervor, he desperately ran back toward his station to find help.

 **Post-chapter note: Not dead yet! Been working on an original story and procrastinating, so this chapter took a long time to write. Good news is FF14 expansion doesn't drop for a couple of months yet. Bad news is progress will be very very slow in a couple of months. Not abandoned, though! Look forward to updates!**


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